The present-day U.S. military qualifies by any measure as highly professional, much more so than its Cold War predecessor. Yet the purpose of today’s professionals is not to preserve peace but to fight unending wars in distant places. Intoxicated by a post-Cold War belief in its own omnipotence, the United States allowed itself to be drawn into a long series of armed conflicts, almost all of them yielding unintended consequences and imposing greater than anticipated costs. Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. forces have destroyed many targets and killed many people. Only rarely, however, have they succeeded in accomplishing their assigned political purposes. . . . [F]rom our present vantage point, it becomes apparent that the “Revolution of ‘89” did not initiate a new era of history. At most, the events of that year fostered various unhelpful illusions that impeded our capacity to recognize and respond to the forces of change that actually matter.

Andrew Bacevich


Friday, December 7, 2007

War News for Friday, December 07, 2007

Baghdad:
#1: 2 policemen were injured when gunmen attacked Adhemiyah police station in Adhemiyah neighborhood north Baghdad around 1,00 pm.

Unidentified gunmen wounded three policemen in an attack on a police station in the Sunni Arab district of Adhamiya in northern Baghdad, police said.


Diyala Prv:
Muqdadiyah:
#1: A female suicide bomber has killed at least 15 people after blowing herself up outside the offices of a group set up to oppose al-Qa'ida in Iraq. Around 20 others were also injured in the attack, which happened at the front gates of the building in the town of Muqdadiyah, around 60 miles north of Baghdad. Ten of those killed in the bombing were members of the anti-al-Qa'ida group, which has allied itself with the US military.

Dali Abbas:
#1: a car bomb killed seven Iraqi soldiers and three members of neighborhood patrols. Eight were hurt. In the second attack, a suicide car bomber struck a checkpoint in the village of Dali Abbas which, like Muqdadiya, is just north of Diyala's provincial capital Baquba.


Baiji:
#1: A fire erupted in an internal crude pipeline carrying oil to the Baiji refinery in northern Iraq on Friday. A source at the state-run Northern Oil Company said the reason behind the fire was unclear. It was also not immediately clear if the fire had stopped the flow of oil through the pipeline. The source said the pipeline is used to transfer crude oil from fields in Kirkuk to a refinery in the town of Baiji, north of Baghdad.


Rashad:
#1: A roadside bomb wounded five policeman near the small town of Rashad, 30 km (20 miles) south of Kirkuk, police said.

#2: A civilian (young farmer) was killed in Al Tali’a village, part of Rashad town west of Kirkuk yesterday night.


Kirkuk:
#1: Gunmen killed one civilian and wounded another in a drive-by shooting in southern Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, on Thursday, police said

#2: Policemen defused two car bombs they have been searching for a week ago in central Kirkuk, an official security source said on Friday.

#3: An intelligence office from Beshmarga Kurdish force was injured yesterday night in Al Shuhada neighborhood downtown Kirkuk city. A security source said that the gunmen using a pistol with a silencer in the attack.


Nineveh prv:
Mosul:
#1: Iraqi police killed a suicide bomber who was wearing an explosive belt after one hour chasing in Shirgat city south of Mosul city today morning

Rabia:
#1: Gunmen killed four leaders of neighbourhood police units and wounded two others in a drive-by shooting on Thursday in the village of Rabia in Iraq's remote northwest near the Syrian border, police said.



Afghanistan:
#1: Afghan insurgents knocked out one of Canada's new Leopard tanks, sparking questions in the military about whether the attack was simply lucky or a signal that enemy forces intend to target the armored vehicles by increasing the amount of explosives used against them. The Leopard 2A6M, on loan from Germany and outfitted with additional armour and protection to deal with landmines, was damaged beyond repair in an explosion last month. Military investigators believe the blast was caused by a landmine, but there have been suggestions that an improvised explosive device or IED was used. At the time of the incident, the Canadian Forces said a crew member was injured in the explosion but did not give details about damage to the vehicle. Members of Canada's tank community now privately confirm the Leopard was a write-off.

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